During
July, Bard Graduate Center hosted the National Endowment for the Humanities
Summer Institute American Material Culture: Nineteenth-Century New York for the fourth time. Eighteen
college and university educators from across the country participated in this
rigorous four-week program about the history of New York City and the use of material
culture in research and teaching. The NEH Summer Institute’s co-directors were Catherine
Whalen, associate professor at Bard Graduate Center, and Kasey Grier, professor
of history at the University of Delaware.

Guest faculty shared their expertise
in material culture studies, art and architectural history, historical
archaeology, Asian-American history, African-American history, visual culture,
and digital humanities. Among these distinguished professors were Bernard
Herman from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ned Cooke from Yale
University, Jack Tchen from New York
University, independent scholar Cynthia Copeland, and Josh Brown from CUNY
Graduate Center. BGC faculty members
Ivan Gaskell and Michele Majer also offered their insights on museum studies and
fashion history while Jesse Merandy, director of the Digital Media Lab, showcased
innovative online platforms, and Marianne Lamonaca, associate gallery director,
led an in-depth tour and discussion of exhibitions and related programs. In
addition, Summer Scholars participated in special workshops and
behind-the-scenes tours with curators at The New-York Historical Society, Museum
of the City of New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural
History, Tenement Museum, Museum of Chinese in America, Weeksville Heritage
Center, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Summer Scholars unanimously described American Material Culture: Nineteenth-Century New York as a transformational
experience that energized their scholarship, teaching, and professional
development. A Summer Scholar explained,
“This Institute will broaden the types
of evidence that I use in my scholarship, making it more interdisciplinary and
relevant to scholars from different fields. Prior to this program, I felt
rather limited in the types of approaches and materials that I was ‘allowed’ to
use in my work. Now that I have a wider set of theoretical approaches,
vocabularies for addressing other knowledge sets, I will be bolder in my
research and be able to advocate for a similarly accessible approach when I
work with students.” One Summer Scholar commented, “I cannot overstate the
value of this experience in focusing my research, supporting my teaching, and
helping me to network effectively across disciplinary and institutional
differences,” while another remarked, “The modeling, field trips,
conversations and conferences will remain with me and help my pedagogy for
years to come.”

— Catherine Whalen, Associate Professor

About the
National Endowment for the Humanities:

Created in
1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the
Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy,
and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals
from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for
the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.